This Emmy-Winning Holiday Episode of ‘The West Wing’ Is One of the Series’ Best

Over the course of the show’s 7 season run, the hit NBC series The West Wing became known for having great holiday episodes. While they all are great episodes, it’s the show’s first one that stands out above the rest. Season 1, Episode 10 “In Excelsis Deo” helped set the stage for all the holiday episodes that came after, using the festivities as a backdrop to the more somber themes that the holiday season brings. Even with the heavier storylines, however, creator Aaron Sorkin always managed to find a glimmer of hope, reminding audiences of the true meaning of Christmas.

What is ‘The West Wing’ Episode “In Excelsis Deo” About?

“In Excelsis Deo” starts off as most episodes of The West Wing do — a bantery walk-and-talk through the halls of the White House, this time with garland and twinkling lights. The episode centers around Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) when he gets a call from the DC Police. He arrives at a park and speaks with an officer played by the late, great Lance Reddick in one of his earliest TV roles. Toby learns that a man, Walter Hufnagle, died with Toby’s business card in his pocket. He’s confused at first, but when he takes a closer look, he realizes the man is wearing a coat he donated to Goodwill and that the tattoo on his arm means he’s a Korean War Veteran.

It’s clear that Toby is rattled that a veteran died alone and might not get a proper military burial, so he makes it his mission to ensure that Walter gets what he’s entitled to as a veteran. This tells audiences a lot about Toby as a character, especially how he goes through back channels to make it happen. Toby eventually tracks down Walter’s brother, George (Paul Austin) to tell him about his brother’s death and lets him know that he’s going to arrange the proper funeral that Walter deserves.

Toby and Mrs. Landingham Attending Walter’s Funeral Shows The True Meaning of Christmas

Throughout the episode, it’s clear that Toby feels an immense sense of gratitude and obligation to Walter. While there isn’t much he can do for Walter now, he uses his position as a “powerful person” to give him the funeral he deserves. There are moments where Toby seems almost embarrassed to have the wealth and privilege that he does when men who sacrificed for their country are dying alone in the cold. He taps into that generosity and puts his job at risk by giving Walter one last gift.

On the other hand, audiences learn why Mrs. Landingham (Kathryn Joosten) is so down during the holidays. While Charlie (Dulé Hill) is enchanted by the lights, music, and presents of Christmas, Mrs. Landingham doesn’t share the sentiment. She goes on to tell Charlie that her twin sons were killed by enemy fire in the Vietnam War on Christmas Eve. Later, when Toby leaves for Walter’s funeral, Mrs. Landingham goes with him. This exemplifies the holiday spirit of generosity, even if you yourself don’t have much to give.

How “In Excelsis Deo” Set the Stage for Other Great Christmas Episodes of ‘The West Wing’

The West Wing’s first Christmas installment showed how a Christmas episode could still feature highly emotional and tougher themes of the holidays, even surrounded by tinsel and singing carolers. For example, another storyline in “In Excelsis Deo” was the tragic story of Lowell Lydell, a young gay teenager who was attacked in a serious hate crime. In a scene where President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and CJ Craig (Allison Janney) are greeting a bunch of kids that are there for the Christmas festivities, they find out that Lowell died of his injuries.

Both characters are visibly shaken by this horrible news as the children wait for the President to return to them. This is a great example of showing the emotional dichotomy of being President, something that The West Wing was always very good at, especially during the holidays. It also reminds the audience that Christmas may be a joyful time for some, but not for others.

“In Excelsis Deo” won an Emmy for writing for both Sorkin and Rick Cleveland, and an acting Emmy for Richard Schiff. This episode prepared audiences for another fantastic Christmas Episode, in Season 2, Episode 10 “Noël”, which focused on Josh’s (Bradley Whitford) PTSD. Whitford also won an Emmy for his performance in that episode, proving that The West Wing Christmas episodes weren’t just a seasonal filler.

The West Wing is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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